Tuesday, August 11, 2015

The Prince George’s County Fire/Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department is proud to announce that one of our members has been selected by the International Associations of Fire Chiefs to receive one the organization’s top awards.

Battalion Chief Sayshan L. Conver-White
will be presented with the “Safety Officer of the Year Award,” at the IAFC’s
annual convention, Fire-Rescue International (FRI). The event will be held in Atlanta, Georgia,
August 26 -29.

In 2007, Sayshan
became the Department’s first on duty Safety Officer. Her passion for firefighter safety led the Department
to establish an Operational Safety office that now includes both a career and
volunteer safety officers around the clock.
Sayshan developed a safety program incorporating the National Fallen
Firefighters Foundation’s (NFFF) 16 Life Safety Initiatives, which are now
incorporated into nearly every phase of our daily operations. This program has
been viewed by surrounding jurisdictions as a model for their Safety
programs.

She has
developed a Departmental Safety Officer training program to ensure a succession
plan for the Operational Safety office. She
also initiated use of the Near Miss program to members of the Department. Several incidents have been submitted to
improve firefighter safety nationwide. Her
passion for firefighter safety has dramatically changed the safety culture
within the Department. In fact, since
2013, the number of firefighter injuries has been reduced by 16 percent.

Sayshan’s passion
for firefighter safety goes far beyond her own Department. She
chaired the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments (COG) Safety and
Health Committee from 2008-2015, and co-chaired the Maryland Emergency Services
Life Safety Task Force from 2011-2015.
Through these leadership roles, she coordinated and taught at numerous
safety conferences throughout the state, to include COG’s Arrive Alive and
Survive; Mid-Atlantic Life Safety Conference; and MFRI’s Learning from the
Past, Improving the Future seminar. She
attended the NFFF’s Safety/Training Officer’s National Summit in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.

Sayshan has been
requested to be an intimate part of safety investigation teams throughout the
region, including but not limited to:

·57th
Avenue House Fire Prince – Prince George’s County

·Truck 411
accident – Fairfax County

·Ladder training
accident – Fairfax County

Sayshan’s
passion for firefighter safety has also impacted her personal training regimen.
Over the years she has attained the
following national certifications: Fire Officer IV, Fire Service Instructor
III, Health and Safety Officer, Incident Safety Officer, and FDSOA
certification (2007, 2008). She continually
attends various safety-related training classes and seminars. Sayshan obtained her Associate’s Degree in
Fire Science Technology from College of Southern Maryland (2009) and her
Bachelor’s Degree in Emergency Management from University of Maryland
University College 2015. She graduated Suma Cum Laude.

Upon hearing that Sayshan was selected
to receive this prestigious award, Fire
Chief Marc Bashoor stated, “Battalion Fire Chief Conver-White is an exceptional
member of our Department. She is driven
to be the very best she can be in the performance of her job as Safety
Officer. Her well researched and through
safety investigations reports have highlighted improvements that not only
benefit Prince George’s County but firefighters across the globe. Congratulations on a well-deserved award.”

Battalion
Chief Conver-White will receive her award in Atlanta, Georgia on Thursday, August
27, at 1:00 pm.

Here are some links to stories that include Battalion Chief Conver-White:

LODD April 15, 2016

Fire Fighter/Medic Lieutenant John "Skillet" Ulmschneider

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Tragically firefighters will find pets that have been injured in home fires. Sometimes owners are not availiable to bring their pet to a emergency vet or may not have the resources to afford medical care. The Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department and the Anne Arundel County SPCA have teamed up and created a fund whereas medical care for the pet would be covered in part or in full.
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